Shaft-coupling.



No. 655,|36. Patented July 3|, I900.

T. r. VANDEGRIFT.

SHAFT COUPLING. (Applicatinn filed Apr. 21;, 1900..) (No Model.)

h m 4 a F I NM 5 0 llIL NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE F. VANDEGRIFT, OF SI'IELB YVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HIRAM J. ROOT, OF SAME PLACE.

SHA'FT-CdUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of. Letters resent No. 655,136, dated July31,1900.

Application filed April 21, 1900.

To all whont it mag concern Be it known that I, 'lln fioponn RYANDEshafts, so that a part of the connecting means.

may serve as a drum or pulley, the coupling being of such constructionthat it cannot become loosened when the shaft or coupling is turned ineither direction.

The invention consists in the combination, with a driving or drivenshaft, of a collar or hub with correspondingly-threaded ends and atapered interior, bushings which embrace the shaft and engage thetapered interior of the collar, the bushings having threaded portions,the angles of the threads opposing the adjacent threads on the collar,nuts with threads of the same pitch, but at opposing angles, forengagement with the collar, and bushings, so that bushings and nuts oflike construction may be used and when applied the parts cannot beloosened by turning the shaft or hub.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewof a shaft-coupling constructed in accord with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, the nuts being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3is a perspective View of one of the bushings, the same being broken awayto show the interior construction. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of one ofthe nuts as ordinarily used; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of amodified form of nut for use when either the collar at one end or one ofthe bushings is threaded otherwisethan is shown in Fig. 2, particularlyas to the angle of the threads.

In the accompanying drawings, A refers to a shaft with interlockingends, the other parts shown comprising means for coupling the shaft andattaching thereto a hub, pulley, or gear-wheel in such a manner thatwhen the shaft or the hub is turned in either direction to drive eitherthe shaft or the pulley the connecting means cannot be loosened by theSerial No. 13,702. (No model.)

application of power to one part and a resistance to the other part.

The part B may be either a collar, hub, pulley, or gear-wheel, and theends have threads I), which are of, the same angle. The part B istapered interiorly and has near its center an aperture b Bushings C C,which are like in construction, are adapted to embrace the shaft A whenthe tapered portions thereof are compressed by being forced together byengagement with the part B. These bushings are divided longitudinallybya cut 0 and are also provided with slits c and interiorly with a,groove or recess 0. Theyalso have threaded portions 0*, which threadsare cut at an opposing angleltothe threads b of the part B. Itwill benoted that the threads are ofthe same gage though of difieren't angles,and by different angles I mean that one set of threads is cut to theright and the other to the left.

D refers to nuts having openings of difien ent diameters, one of theopenings having right-hand threads, while the other opening is providedwith left-hand threads. Recesses d are provided, so that a spanner orsuitablyconstructed wrench may be used for turning the same. It will benoted that the ends of the bushings project considerably beyond thethreaded portions, sufficiently to be engaged by a tool or drivenwithout liability of injuring the threads.

In some instances it may be desired to use bushings which are notsimilar in co'nstruction as to the angle of the threads thereon, and insuch case the threads on one of the ends of the part B will be of adifferent pitch or angle from the thread on the other end, and in suchcase the nut D (shown in Fig. 5) can be used at either end of thecoupling.

In applying my invention the bushings, with the nuts in engagement withthe threaded portions thereof, are placed upon the adjacent ends of ashaft. The collar is then placed over the shaft, the ends of which arebrought into juxtaposition. Then by holding the nut and turning thecollar one end will be made secure and the bushing clamped upon theshaft. The other end is operated too upon similarly, thus holding theends of the shafts together and the hub or part B in place, so thatwhen'the shaft is turned the entire coupling will turn therewith. Itwill 7 be noted that when a resistance is applied to having threads atthe same angle as the adthe collar or part B there is no tendency toloosen the coupling, for it will draw the bushings in at one end ifthere is a tendency to force the otherend away from the joined ends ofthe shaft, for where there is a tendency of one part to unscrew theother end tightens in the same ratio. Therefore the coup-.

ling will remain set as placed on the shaft. In case it is founddiflicult to remove the coupling oil may be-poured into the space 1jacent threads on the hub, nuts being provided, the threads of thecoupling being of the same angle, though of a diiferent gage. With suchconstruction the split sleeves or bushings are not interchangeable, anddiiferently-cut nuts have to be provided. Further, by turning the huband holding the shaft the nuts and bushings maybe separated and theparts "disconnected.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclai'n'a as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a shaft-coupling, a pair of com pressi ble bushings of likeconstruction both having threads of the same angle, a collar or hubwhich receives the bushings both ends thereof having threads of the samegage and angle which threads oppose the threads on the bushings, wherebythe-threads at either end of the coupling are right and left handed, andnuts with right and left hand threads, substantially as shown and forthe purpose set forth.

2. In a shaft-coupling, the combination with a pair of compressiblebushings both of like construction, a collar or hub, which is taperedinteriorly and provided at its ends with threads, the threads being atthe same angle at both ends of said hub, the bushings being providedwith; threads which oppose "the threads on the'ends of the hub, wherebythe threads at either end of the coupling are rightand left handed, andnuts with right.

and left hand threads whereby the bushings and nuts may be used oneither end of the hub, substantially as shown and for the purpose setforth.

3. In a shaft-coupling, a hub the ends-havwith threads the anglethereofopposing the threadsouthe hub, and nuts with apertures THEODORE 1iVANDEGBIFT, .witiles ses; V,

CATHERINE VON WEAVER, I l WOODVILLE B. KIRK.

6o ing similar threads, compressible bushings.

